Keyhole guard



I June 23, 1931. A. L. BREWER 4 KEYHOLE GUARD Filed Jan. 15, 1931Patented June 23, 1931 LICE L. IBREWER, or EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT iKEYHOLE GUARD 'Application 111611 January 15, 1931. Serial nasoaass.

\ This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inkeyhole guards. V

vThe primary object of the invention is to provide a guard or attachmentfor keyholes ofdoorlocks and operates in a manner to prevent removal ofa key from a lock casing, it being frequently found desirable to leave akey in a door, lock and in many instances such keys become lost by beingtaken from the lock casing or falling therefromduring opening andclosing movements of a door;

The invention alsorembodies a safety feature which prevents removal ofthe key from 3 the lock casing by attempting to. eject the sametherefrom by the ,insertion of another key ortool, the invention alsobeing serviceable in that the keyhole opening is completely closed whena key is inserted in the locking casing and the guard is in position inthe key slot or hole.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed. I

In the drawings 1 Figure 1 is a front'elevational view of the face plateof a lock in which the keyhole is equipped with a guard attachment;

Figure 2 isa cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a key in position inthe opening of the face plate of the lock and the guard attachmentextending into the opening preventing removal of the key;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the side attachment;

Figure 5 is a bottom tachment; V

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view with the Wedge member of theattachment parplan view of the attially removed from the attachmentcasing Figure 8 is a perspective viewof a modified form of theinvention, showing the guard attachment of flap tapering formation;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 8 V V v Figure10 is a front elevational view of the attachment shown in Figures 8 and9 with the wedge member partly removed fromthe casing; l

Figure 11 is a front elevational view of another form of guardattachment; 7

Figure 12 is an edge elevational view of the device shown in Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a rear elevational view of the device shown in Figures 11and 12; and

Figure 14 is a top plan view of the plate of the attachment shown inFigures 11 to 13. As shown in Figures 1 to3, the reference numeral 1designates the face plate of a door I lock having a fancifullyborderedopening 2 therein for the passage of a knob spindle and a keyhole of the usual form being circular as at 8 at its upper end andhaving parallel walls tto the vertical slot portion of the keyhole asshown in Figure 2. In the form of keyholeguard attachment shown inFigures 1 to 7, the reference numeral 5 designates a taperingcasing openat both ends and cut away longitudinally thereof at one side with theedge walls of the cut away portion directed outwardly as at 6 inparallel relation to each other with the outer terminal edges thereofbent outwardly at right'angles as at 7 constituting retaining lugs foruse in a manner presently to be described. 7 A wedge member 8 of shellformation is slida-bly mounted within the casing 5 and has one sidethereof flattened as at 9 registering with the cut away side of thecasing so that the device may assume a position adjacent the face plate1 of the door look as illustrated in Figures 3 and 6. A longitudinallyextending slot 10 is provided in the casing 5 opposite the cut away sidethereof and through which slot a pin 11 carried by thefsmaller end ofthe wedge-shaped member 8 extends, for coupling the'two parts together.

In the use of the guard attachment, the key K has its shank thereofextending through the circular p rt on .3 9f he keyhole with the keyward positioned for engagement with the lock mechanism. The guardattachment is then inserted in the keyhole, application thereof beingaccomplished by first shifting the wedge member 8 exteriorly of thecasing 5 in the position shown in Figure 6 and at which time the sidesof the cut away portion of the casing 5 may be moved toward each otherso that the lugs 7 will be permitted to pass between the parallel sideedges l of the key hole slot and assume the position shown in Figure 3.At this time, the wedge member 8 is moved upwardly into the casing 5 andcompletely filling the same as illustrated, accidental displacement ofthe guard attachment is prevented, the key hole completely closed andremoval of the key K prevented, either accidentally or by a persontrying to force the same from the key lock by the insertion of anotherkey at the opposite side of the door or by use of an implement of anycharacter, the keyhole being completely closed by the guard attachmentas will at once be apparent from an inspection of Figures 1 to 3.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 8 to 10, the casing 5a ofthe guard attachment is of tapering and flatened form, the opensidethereof being provided with retaining lugs 7a while the wedge member Seassociated with the casing 5a is in the form ofa tapering plate thatcarries a pin 11a guided in the slot 10a in the casing 5a as clearlyshown in Fi ure 10, the wedge plate 8a when moved into the casingrestraining movement of the lugs 7a toward each other.

Another form of the invention is shown in Figures 11 to 14, the key holeguard attachment comprising a wedge shaped plate 15 provided with alateral extension 16 at one end thereof with outwardly directed lugs 17at the outer ends of the extension. A pair of spring arms 18 areattached to the plate 15 as at 19 on the side thereof carrying the neckand lugs 16 and 17, the lower ends of the spring arms, each carrying anoutwardly directed lug 20. A pin 21 is ournalled in the plate 15 andcarries a cross head 22 at one end thereof disposed between the freeends of the spring arms 18, the end of the pin projecting at theopposite side of'the plate 15 being provided with an operating handle 23having a button projection 24 receivable in indentations 25 for holdingthe lever 23 and cross head 22 in adjusted positions. The lugs 17 uponthe upper end of the plate 15 and the lugs 20 upon the lower ends of thespring arms 18 are insertible through the keyhole 3& and upon operatingthe lever 23, the cross heads 22 upon the pin 21 separates the lugs 20to move them into engagement with the rear sides of the edges of thekeyhole walls 4:, thus retaining the guard attachment in position in thekeyhole.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believedthat the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent andwhile there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments ofthe invention it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

I claim 1. A guard attachment for keyholes comprising a tubular casinglongitudinally split on one side, an outwardly directed extension ateach side edge of the split portion, an outwardly directed lug at theouter end of each extension to be engaged with the edge walls of akeyhole, and a wedge member in the casing to prevent movement of thelugs toward each other.

2. A guard attachment for keyholes comprising a tubular easinglongitudinally split on one side, an outwardly directed extension ateach side edge of the split portion, .an outwardly directed lug at theouter end of each extension to be engaged with the edge walls of akeyhole, a wedge member in the casing to prevent movement of the lugstoward each other, a pin and slot connection between the casing andwedge member, and the inner side of the wedge member being flattened forclose contact with a lock plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALICE L. BREWER.

